


Not Alone

by nickyz



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Gen, Light Angst, Loneliness, Pre-Canon, puzzle isnt solved yet, yugi and yami havent been introduced
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-10
Updated: 2019-12-10
Packaged: 2021-02-26 21:27:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21745642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nickyz/pseuds/nickyz
Summary: yugi talks to himself a lot
Comments: 3
Kudos: 24





	Not Alone

The Shadow could sense a wave of negativity enter the room like a tsunami as soon as his vessel opened the door, setting his bag on the soft carpet roughly and falling onto his bed with a hopeless sigh. Wordlessly, soundlessly, and invisibly the Shadow hovered behind him, awaiting its vessel's next action. After all, that was all it _could_ do.

Its three glowing eyes observed the child dragging himself out of bed and over to his desk, where a golden box of ancient origin sat. It looked very out of place among everything else. He picked it up, turning it in his bruised hands with a frown.

"Every time I leave you at home, it seems like something bad happens, huh." He mumbled, not phrasing it as a question because he could see no one that could reasonably hear. "Maybe you really are some kind of good luck charm. Or maybe you just get mad, being left behind? And give me _bad_ luck?" He mused to himself, settling down in his desk chair with a painful _creak._ He sighed, running a hand down his face. "I'm talking to myself again." 

The Shadow floated next to its vessel, peering over his shoulder. It did not move when the boy shot a quick look to his side, as if feeling something must be there. He rubbed his forehead, furrowing his brows. "I need to get out more..." 

Displeased with the wording, the Shadow radiated a strong but silent mantra of _no, stay, stay here with me, do not leave._ The boy shuddered. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you didn't like that idea, Millennium Puzzle." The Shadow buzzed, moving closer, _yes, it is a bad idea, do not leave._

With another sigh, he began to pull small golden pieces out of the box, settling in for another long night of puzzle-solving. Content with this development, the Shadow settled right along with him, pure-white eyes unblinking and endlessly observing.

"You jealous that I have time to myself or somethin'?" He asked to no one in particular, personifying the puzzle. Little did he know that personification was not needed. The Shadow could not feel, but if it could, it was certain it would take offense to that comment. It did not dignify its vessel with a response, and no more words were spoken the rest of the night. 

* * *

Sobs echoed loudly in the quiet room, and the Shadow stood aimlessly in the corner, watching its vessel. His head was down on his desk, a fresh splattering of bruises along his visible skin. The Shadow could not feel, but yet, it swore it felt…

"I'll complete you one day, I promise." The child sniffed and hiccuped, cradling a few stray pieces in his hands. "That's one thing I know I can do right."

_You will._ The Shadow draped over him like a blanket of darkness, and for a moment after, all was silent. Not even crying pierced the air. Its vessel was frozen in astonishment, or shock, maybe even fear. Possibly… anticipation? _I am awaiting the day you do, always waiting, always watching. I am here._ The sobbing started back up with renewed intensity, the boy now desperately clacking the puzzle fragments together, eyes too full of tears to actually see how they might connect.

"I keep thinking I feel someone there, waiting for me, listening to me, supporting me… but that's stupid." He sniffs violently and rubs at his blotchy red face with an arm. "Grandpa says I need to make some friends, and then I'll stop talking to myself all the time, but it's so hard."

_I know it is hard. You are not alone._

Another big sniff, and a deep, trembling breath. "It's so hard." He repeated. "No one likes me. I don't know why no one likes me… I never did anything to them."

_I like you._

"It's so…" He yawned, starting to exhaust himself now. His hands shake, and the Shadow wishes it could steady them, but it has no limbs of its own nor a physical body. "Unfair. I just want a friend, no matter who it is…"

_I am your friend, we are friends, I like you._

_I am here._

Yugi falls asleep at his desk that night, still clutching the half-finished Millennium Puzzle. To the naked eye, he is alone. In reality, or rather non-reality, staying loyally right by his side is the Shadow of the puzzle, patiently waiting for its friend to complete it.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> finally finished reading all the yugioh manga and i am going absolutely ham
> 
> edit: adding my twitter to all my fics so you can follow me [here](https://twitter.com/chaosblast_)


End file.
